Ghost Thrower - Get Miserable EP

The story behind Ghost Thrower is that when rising Boston post-hardcore act Therefore I Am abruptly called it quits, guitarist Travis Alexander was desolate. He had no band, no job, no home, and was dealing with a close family member's passing away. Factor in Shipwreck A.D.'s Nick Webster and Bravo Fucking Bravo's Robbie Rose in the lineup (two bands with their own acts of progressive aggression), and you have a recipe for some cathartic, forward-thinking tunes. The result is Ghost Thrower's proper debut, the aptly titled Get Miserable EP.

Hard-charging, hook-laden post-hardcore that plays like a punkier Fear Before or a more straightforward La Dispute, Get Miserable is quick and dirty—forward-thinking, but not flashy. Guitars rumble, charge and flail deliberately while Alexander's over-arching shout spouts calloused desperation. The first four tracks are fast, catchy and expectedly depressing, while closer "Prima And Sinatra" lumbers with a wounded, nasal emotion and lush, gray outlook alluding to Thursday ca. Full Collapse or War All The Time.

While Alexander can certainly come off self-loathing ("I've been beaten alive/I've been beaten to death by life/Now I want to die"), his brutal honesty and candidness are largely alluring traits on this EP. Even respective references to both The Twilight Zone's New Year's Eve marathon and living in the shadow of success by "the New York fucking Yankees" help paint a complete picture of his emotional isolation. Musically, it's backed by simply catchy and complexly orchestrated cuts that help qualify Ghost Thrower's debut as a bona fide success.